Big Beach, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Big Beach is a community located on the north side of the Boisdale Hills on the east side of the Great Bras D'Or Lake
on Provincial Route 223
, which runs from Leitches Creek
to Little Narrows
, through Central Cape Breton Island
in the Canadian
province of Nova Scotia
. Located on the "Bras D'Or Lakes Scenic Drive
" it is part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Central Cape Breton Island.
At the time comprising the three small communities of Big Beach, Glasgow, and Big Brook, Big Beach was populated during the first half of the 19th century by Scots
from the Outer Hebrides
islands, specifically the Isle of Barra, as well as Benbecula
and other islands in that chain, which are located off the Atlantic coast of Scotland
.
Today, the descendants of these Roman Catholic
"Barramen" still dominate Central Cape Breton Island's Gaelic culture. The area is still heavily influenced by Catholicism and the local priest
was the law. Gaelic was the first language of the community until the middle of the 20th century. A campaign of violence and intimidation by the provincial school board led to the near extermination of Gaelic culture and language in Cape Breton. However, there has been a resurgence of the Gaelic language and culture promulgated through a local Feis an Eilein http://www.feisaneilein.ca/ (Festival of the Island) and Highland Village Museum http://museum.gov.ns.ca/hv/, a Provincial Nova Scotia Living Museum in nearby Iona
. The Gaelic language is now being taught to children attending the Rankin School of the Narrows
. The Big Beach School is now a private residence and was replaced by the now closed grade school in Christmas Island
.
The Canadian National Railway
came through Central Cape Breton and Big Beach in the latter part of the 19th century, bringing a connection to the rest of North America
. The railroad is still in operation, run by the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway
. "Section Men" were hired to upkeep sections of the track. It was a coveted job. Many men cut timber for rail ties to subsidize their income.
There was a rail spur to the beach at one time when a company from Belgium
gathered sand to make porcelain
china.
Most of the land grants were approximately 100 acre (0.404686 km²), and many properties still run between the Crown Land at the top of the Boisdale Hills to the "front" on the Great Bras D'Or Lake. The area was mostly subsistence farming and there is still very little employment available in the area.
However, the area is popular for summer residents and there has been a resurgence of building recently.
Bras d'Or Lake
Bras d'Or Lake is a large body of salt water dominating the centre of Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Bras d'Or Lake is sometimes referred to as the Bras d'Or Lakes or the Bras d'Or Lakes system, however its official geographic name is Bras d'Or Lake as it is a singular...
on Provincial Route 223
Nova Scotia Route 223
Route 223 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located on Cape Breton Island and runs from Leitches Creek Station at Route 305 to North Side Whycocomagh Bay at Highway 105....
, which runs from Leitches Creek
Leitches Creek, Nova Scotia
Leitches Creek is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality on Cape Breton Island.-References:*...
to Little Narrows
Little Narrows, Nova Scotia
Little Narrows is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Victoria County on Cape Breton Island.-References:*...
, through Central Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. Located on the "Bras D'Or Lakes Scenic Drive
Bras d'Or Lakes Scenic Drive
The Bras d'Or Lakes Scenic Drive is a scenic roadway on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. It extends around the perimeter of Bras d'Or Lake.-Routes:*Highway 105*Trunk 4*Route 205*Route 216*Route 223-Communities:*Baddeck*Boularderie Island...
" it is part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Central Cape Breton Island.
At the time comprising the three small communities of Big Beach, Glasgow, and Big Brook, Big Beach was populated during the first half of the 19th century by Scots
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
from the Outer Hebrides
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
islands, specifically the Isle of Barra, as well as Benbecula
Benbecula
Benbecula is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,249, with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It forms part of the area administered by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar or the Western...
and other islands in that chain, which are located off the Atlantic coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Today, the descendants of these Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
"Barramen" still dominate Central Cape Breton Island's Gaelic culture. The area is still heavily influenced by Catholicism and the local priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
was the law. Gaelic was the first language of the community until the middle of the 20th century. A campaign of violence and intimidation by the provincial school board led to the near extermination of Gaelic culture and language in Cape Breton. However, there has been a resurgence of the Gaelic language and culture promulgated through a local Feis an Eilein http://www.feisaneilein.ca/ (Festival of the Island) and Highland Village Museum http://museum.gov.ns.ca/hv/, a Provincial Nova Scotia Living Museum in nearby Iona
Iona, Nova Scotia
Iona is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Victoria County on Cape Breton Island. It is named after Iona in Scotland. Perched above the Barra Strait between the Great Bras d'Or and Piper's Cove portions of Bras d'Or Lake, Iona is the western terminus of the...
. The Gaelic language is now being taught to children attending the Rankin School of the Narrows
Rankin School of the Narrows
Rankin School of the Narrows is a Primary through Grade 12 school located in Iona, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Cape Breton Island in Victoria County...
. The Big Beach School is now a private residence and was replaced by the now closed grade school in Christmas Island
Christmas Island, Nova Scotia
Christmas Island, Nova Scotia is a community of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Canada. It has a post office, a firehall and a very small population. The post office of Christmas Island gets postcards from around the world during Christmas time so they can get the...
.
The Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
came through Central Cape Breton and Big Beach in the latter part of the 19th century, bringing a connection to the rest of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The railroad is still in operation, run by the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway
Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway
The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway is a railway operating in Nova Scotia between Sydney and Truro with spurs at Sydney, Point Tupper, Trenton and Stellarton....
. "Section Men" were hired to upkeep sections of the track. It was a coveted job. Many men cut timber for rail ties to subsidize their income.
There was a rail spur to the beach at one time when a company from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
gathered sand to make porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
china.
Most of the land grants were approximately 100 acre (0.404686 km²), and many properties still run between the Crown Land at the top of the Boisdale Hills to the "front" on the Great Bras D'Or Lake. The area was mostly subsistence farming and there is still very little employment available in the area.
However, the area is popular for summer residents and there has been a resurgence of building recently.